


Colors of The World

by tide_ms



Category: Nine Muses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, F/F, Friendship, Love, Misses Clause Challenge, Mutant Powers, Mutants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 17:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5465645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tide_ms/pseuds/tide_ms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Humans had powers, humans shouldn't have powers. The stories; the history, everything said that in one way or another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Colors of The World

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elfiepike](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elfiepike/gifts).



> \- I hope you like it. It was really fun to write namyu with powers.
> 
> \- Thank you to [Mow](http://mo-chan-tf.livejournal.com/) for beta-reading and the helpful notes. (Any remaining typos/mistakes are mine.)
> 
> \- In case you wondered why Erin instead of Hyemin: imagine a scene with HyeminHyemiHyeminHyemiHy... ;_;

 

 

As far as Hyemi could remember, being soaked in falling water, _rain, Sojin liked to call it_ , every time the latter was feeling down was never that much of a bother. Sure, it was messy and often gave her a cold, but the number of times in which Sojin had felt Hyemi's pain instead of Hyemi herself had escaped her and so having a cold seemed so little to what Sojin had to endure.

Hyemi still had no idea whether their powers were what brought their friendship into existence, or that friendship was what directed their powers towards one another, but strangers weren't bothered by a sudden rain or surprised by unexplainable pain, and neither were the two of them. They had each other, they were lucky.

As they grew up, having no one but each other, Sojin started to gain more control over her power, as did Hyemi, not that it mattered much in their world. So now, in their late teens, instead of letting her invisible cloud pour on the only person she trusted, she could direct it to more important purposes, like growing trees.

Of course, sometimes the cloud was bigger than the baby tree that Sojin planted years ago.

Hyemi was thankful that she wore a cap; only a few raindrops had managed to tickle her face so far while her clothes were damp.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hyemi asked, her gaze focused on the small tree being watered a few feet away from where they were sitting on the hill, their knees hugged to their chests.

The colors of dark red, orange and yellow that the sun filled the sky with as it was setting were calming. A shade of pink and purple had added a sense of familiarity to this damaged place that Hyemi neither loved, nor hated.

"I'll take the test again," Sojin spoke after a moment. The raindrops had added a rhythm to the calmness. "I'll take it again, and I'll pass it." Her voice quivered at the end, and she lowered her head into her folded arms. A promise. "I'll become a Keeper too. You won't have to come back for me."

Hyemi reached her right arm around the younger girl's shoulders and hugged her closer to her. She knew that any word she might say would stand empty in front of her friend.

  
,

The cloudy sky started to pour just when Hyemi started her day, making transportation a little difficult for those who were stuck to the ground, or bound to the laws of space and time.

A healer, sometimes a guardian, other times she was a friend, just a friend to tag along in the path to comprehend power; to take control over it instead of giving in to its whispers. A Keeper meant a lot of things, a Keeper meant to protect the world and everyone.

Hyemi got out of the cab with no rush to get inside the huge building like everyone else despite not having an umbrella in her hand. A little of rain wouldn't bother her. Hyemi smiled as she covered her hair with her handbag. Rain started to come through her jacket, touching her shoulders and for a second she couldn't remember when the rain didn't remind her of her old friend.

In contrast to the cool wind, and the grey stone-walls of the building darkened by the rain, Hyemi felt waves of warmth and painful yearning with every beat of her heart. It had been six years, and neither had Sojin fulfilled her promise yet, nor had Hyemi been able to go back and meet the sweetest of people.

The rain brought Sojin to her mind every time it fell, if it happened that the younger girl slipped into forgetfulness. Hyemi loved to think that there was a hidden cloud above her, one that added more rain just for the sake of rainbows.

  
,

  
The Keepers were always in a rush, always in a state of panic because one could never know when someone would use their power against the law. Or if a newborn baby could shake the whole hospital with their first scream, or if a child was able to hide on top of a mountain when they were playing hide and seek in their school's playground. But all of that, of course, was manageable comparing to a teen going through a life crisis, Hyemi would say.

Hyemi sighed. Being able to reflect pain on others instead of feeling it herself didn't stop the ache from settling within her joints. It was a busy day, and only now the office was becoming as calm as the night could offer. Just a few Keepers left in the floor.

Her phone buzzed announcing a message, and only the instant thought that it could be from her wife prompted her to stop staring at the reports' feed and check it.

She was right, and seeing her wife's name delighted her with a cloud of her own. A warm, soft cloud that drew a smile to her face.

_Last one to reach home does the dishes._

The fact that Kyungri had already reached home only made Hyemi's smile grow bigger.

"Hyemi."

Hyemi faced the head of their division, quickly standing up after putting her phone aside.

"You have a new mission, with Minha. She is waiting for you downstairs," Sungah said as she wore her black, long coat that she always wore.

It had been months since Hyemi last saw Sungah, and that was strange enough, let alone assigning her a task personally. Her furrowed eyebrows must have hinted Sungah at her confusion.

"Don't ask, you'll know later," she said calmly, too calmly. "And don't tell anyone," she added.

Hyemi nodded. Just that, what else could she say? Sungah was the one who had made her a Keeper.

,

The road they took led them towards the borders where hope met with emptiness and vast deserted lands. Hyemi was the one driving while Minha, one of her colleagues, remained quiet on the passenger seat. It rained again, a few minutes after they left the capital's walls.

If Hyemi said that she hadn't thought about telling Kyungri, she would be lying. With every turn she took further away, her mind took her back to Kyungri. She had sent her a text, _I'll be late, I love you_ , that she thought would ease her worries. It only made her more anxious.

Hyemi took a glimpse at Minha before focusing on the slippery road, the windshield wipers were barely doing their job properly. But at least they added noise to the nerve-wracking calmness around them. Hyemi rarely worked at night, and never this far from the Capital.

"What do you think this is about?"

It wasn't before a quiet moment accompanied by the soothing rhythm of falling rain that Minha answered.

"You and I both come from the Deserted Lands, and we're heading towards the borders when we aren't supposed to. We don't know anything about our mission other than the destination. I find that strange."

Hyemi remembered the stories, Keepers from the Deserted Lands trying to get children and their beloved ones into the huge Capital illegally because eight years of working until they would be able to reunite with their families were simply too many years of waiting.

The Deserted Lands took little of their name. There were people there; people living amidst the aftermath of a dark past that history told little about. The Deserted Lands were the last proof of the horrors caused by crazed minds, or so the tales said, while the Capital stood as a star in the darkness, reaching everyone with its conditional light no matter how far they were.

"There is someone waiting for you?" Hyemi asked, her eyes remaining fixed on the high trees that they were heading toward. Thinking about the Deserted Lands only pulled at her heart painfully.

"I don't know if my mother is still al--stop the car!"

,

Hyemi stared at the ruined cabin in the middle of the uninhabited forest with disbelief. It had stopped her in her tracks, same as Minha, and sort of raised her heartbeat rate.

"Are you sure this is the place? Maybe you didn't hear her right," Hyemi didn't take her eyes off the one tree popping from inside the small cabin as she said that. It seemed as if the house was poorly built around it. The left, upper side of it was sloping.

"Did you see anything else strange in our way other than this?" Minha answered with a trembling voice that didn't hide her disapproval of what Hyemi had said. Only a few raindrops had hit their heads after falling from the high trees. Every drop made Hyemi on edge.

Hyemi turned to her left, aiming the flashlight a little to the side so she could see Minha. They could be heading toward their end.

Her heart pained her, something in her heart that filled her life with joy and warmth the moment she met Kyungri a few years after moving to the Capital now pained her and she couldn't do anything about it.

Minha met her eyes and said nothing. There was really nothing to say. They were Keepers and Keepers did their job at its best. They would protect, and Hyuna, whom they knew by name as one of the Capital's most important figures, did mention little about their mission. A child was in danger.

So Hyemi took a step forward, and when Minha followed, the latter spoke. "She says the door is open."

Hyemi pursed her lips. This one-sided conversation was getting on her nerves.

,

Hyemi wasn't especially fond of surprises, but having the inside of the house be anything but how it looked from the outside was a relief. There was light for a start, from a fire as it kept swaying a bit, and the place was warm.

Minha closed the door behind them, and Hyemi called, "Hello?"

  
"In here," a woman's soft voice sounded in the room ahead. Hyemi shared a look with Minha and the taller girl nodded.

Their steps were careful as they walked through the hallway, and her heart kept pounding until the wall of the hallway ended and the room showed no sign of harm coming their way.

"Hello," one of the three women in the room spoke. She had been walking back and forth slowly near the fireplace but stopped and faced them. A baby was sleeping on her shoulder and the tall woman seemed like she was lulling the baby.

"I apologize for not meeting you at the scheduled spot, but Melna had trouble sleeping due to the storm and I couldn't leave her." She smiled, "I'm Hyuna, this is Erin, and Keumjo."

Erin waved at them without opening her eyes, her hand still massaging her forehead while she kept her other hand on Keumjo's shoulder as the latter laid her head on her thigh, sleeping. Only now Hyemi noticed the soft snoring.

"It was a bit of a rough day," Hyuna said with a smile when Hyemi met her eyes.

"Define hangover, and bad timing," Erin murmured.

"Please, come on in, get some warmth."

Hyemi didn't like what was going on, which wasn't much, nor did it hint at a child being in danger, and it seemed like Minha didn't like it either because neither one of them moved. She kept her eyes on Hyuna, who had guided them there through Minha's power.

Hyuna's gaze remained focused on them until it was clear that they needed to know their mission. She resumed her walking back and forth when the baby winced slightly, a soft look; a sad look painted on her tired features.

"No, it isn't a coincidence that both of you are from the Deserted Lands," she said. "You will be going back there tomorrow with Keumjo and Melna, and you won't be returning to the Ca--"

Instead of asking why, Hyemi let out a No! without thinking; without knowing if her storming feelings were calming each other down or gathering against her. Her wife, her yearning for her friend, the Deserted Lands that still stalked her dreams.

Hyuna looked at her. She didn't seem bothered by the interruption but Melna woke up and only two seconds passed before she started crying.

"Great," Erin sighed, standing up. "Couldn't you mention the part about her wife first?" She took Melna, and walked towards Hyemi, muttering _Bad girl Hyemi scared you, didn't she?_ to the baby. It was only one word, but the whole room seemed noisier now. Keumjo had woken up too, and Minha went to sit on the other couch.

"I was just about to," Hyuna said, stretching her arms.

"How much do you know about babies?" The tall blonde asked as she gave her the baby so gently that it raised Hyemi's worries, and quickened her heartbeats again.

"Aa--just, just a little." Hyemi answered as Erin walked past her.

The baby felt so fragile in her arms that Hyemi feared any movement would be wrong. She knew very little about babies if she would be honest.

Melna's crying seemed to be getting louder, so Hyemi mimicked how Hyuna had held her and stroked her tiny back. She must be around one year old, Hyemi guessed.

"Your wife will be with you, Hyemi," Hyuna said, drawing her attention, "Though I must admit," she sat next to Keumjo on the couch comfortably, the latter was barely keeping her eyes open, "we never expected you to be married when the time for this mission came." She looked at Keumjo, "It's okay, go back to sleep."

Keumjo only shook her head as a no.

Hyemi looked at the baby; her soft hair was bright brown, and that reminded her of the Deserted Lands. In her whole life before the Capital, she had met only a few with that hair color.

"What she's saying is that you ruined our plans, Hyemi." Erin's voice was a bit rough, she was going through a backpack that had babies' stuff in it. "So, now instead of having just Keepers protecting the baby, we have a Capital-born teacher and a Deserted Lands' kid joining in."

The clatter that she was making sounded a lot calmer than her words.

"But I'm twenty-five," Keumjo spoke sleepily.

Melna pouted her lips when she sort of stopped crying, and that somehow was enough to make Hyemi ignore the objection that she wanted to express. She did feel lost about what had just been said, but before she could ask, Minha spoke.

"I didn't hear the baby," she said, "I heard all the three of you, but not the baby."

Hyuna answered her after a moment, "Melna is a mutant. She doesn't have any powers, and she's immune to ours."

"Wh--" Hyemi stopped in fear that Melna would cry again, realizing that her voice was too loud. "What?!" She asked in a low voice. The baby seemed to be accepting her hug, she had rested her head on her shoulder and Hyemi stroked her hair.

Erin handed her the small bottle of milk, "I'm going to head back now. You need anything?" She asked Hyuna as she took her jacket off the couch, and when Hyuna shook her head, Erin turned to her again, "I'll see you tomorrow."

she was talking to Melna. She kissed her head, and disappeared into the hallway.

Hyemi noticed that Minha's brows were still furrowed when the door was closed. She didn't have a doubt that she mirrorred the shock.

,

"She's ten months old," Hyuna said as Keumjo cradled the baby in her arm, holding the milk with her other hand steadily for Melna to drink. Hyemi was just about to do that when Keumjo saw that two seconds of figuring out how to do that in the right way was too long.

"Because she's immune to all powers, which was something that no one expected, we never knew about her existence until a while ago," Hyuna looked at the baby, seeming concerned. "Thankfully, Keumjo was there for her since she was born. She kept her safe."

"Safe from what? What about her parents?" Hyemi asked quietly.

Before Hyuna could answer, Keumjo spoke, her eyes focused on the baby's, and the latter was looking at her. "Her mother knew, she said so before she closed her eyes."

"Her mother was Keumjo's cousin, and as far as we know, both her parents were like us," Hyuna said.

"Then why keep this a secret?" Hyemi asked, "I don't mean to sound rude, but you aren't even a Keeper, how did you know about this?"

"Why tell us now?" Minha added.

"We have have been waiting for her for a very long time, and the two of you are our plan B, actually," Hyuna answered with a smile, then sighed before continuing. "Let me start from the beginning. You two come from the Deserted Lands, but how much do you know about them?"

Hyemi thought about that, and every image that her thoughts tempted had Sojin in it.

"There are ruins of old cities. Cities like the Capital, some say," Minha spoke calmly. "They were destroyed by people who went mad. Because of their powers."

"That's the truth actually, these ruins were just like our Capital. In fact, civilisation lived in all these lands, and beyond the seas that we know of. And whether we like it or not, our Capital will have the same fate sooner or later," Hyuna leaned forward on her knees. Melna had started to play with her own foot as she drank her milk, her eyelids seeming too heavy to be kept open.

"Didn't you ever wonder why you were told that powers were a flaw all the time, and that you shouldn't be using them?" Hyuna sounded softer when she spoke again as if she felt the pain that such words caused. "Or why we can't use our powers here in the Capital once we turn twenty-nine?"

Of course they wondered, of course Hyemi spent days and nights trying to figure out why they were taught about how bad powers were, but never about the lives that could be saved with them. Never about life itself and how beautiful it could be.

"The reason is because our great grandparents were trying to protect us from doing the same mistakes they did by taking our powers away from us. But even with that, they couldn't agree on one way to do it." She chuckled, the sadness not fading away from her eyes.

Seconds passed with silence that the fire helped to scatter a little. Hyuna seemed tired, but there was something else, Hyemi had noticed. There was something shimmering in her eyes that gave lightness to her words.

"When the madness was over, and all that remained was the damage that they caused to the world, they tried to find a way to take the powers away from humans, but everything they could come up with ended up causing more harm. So they separated themselves. Most of them remained at their destroyed homes, and planted the idea of living without using powers. Others left and decided that with proper planning and laws, not everyone would have to use their powers, so our need for them would shrink until there would be no need at all. The powers would disappear from our blood." She smiled, "That's why we have you; Keepers. And that law."

Hyuna finished, standing up.

She headed to the fireplace to add more wood, Hyemi hadn't noticed that the fire had become smaller, but a moment of quietness seemed like it was needed. And she was thankful that one had been given. She leaned on the back of the couch, trying to find a little rest.

"This separation came in hopes that in the end humans would be born without powers. That humans wouldn't destroy the world again, but like everything else in the world, it wasn't a perfect solution. The Deserted Lands remained ruins, and the Capital is already starting to repeat the mistakes of the past."

"So we just happen to be born on the worst side of the solution?" Hyemi asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Hyuna said, facing them, "But it worked, didn't it? Melna is the first, and she won't be the last. Now it's our job to make sure that she and others remain safe and well."

,

"The world wasn't made for our powers, we have been told. Maybe Melna is our ancestor returning to save the world." Keumjo spoke when no one else in the room did for a moment.

Hyemi looked at Melna sleeping soundly in Keumjo's arms. She wanted to ask all the loud questions in her head, but all the answers that finally made sense to their world were numbing.

"These powers, they are anything but equal, don't you think? At some point, someone will think that their power gives them control over everyone. It's already happening," Hyuna looked at their eyes, "So, if that wasn't bad enough by itself, imagine what they'll do once they know that there are humans immune to their power? That's why we can't keep her here. It's too dangerous."

"But how do you know all of this?" Minha asked. Her voice was calm as if she couldn't believe what Hyuna had said, yet she wasn't questioning it either.

"I have the memories of everyone, Minha. Living or dead," Hyuna sighed. "It's quite stressful," she added, not seeming to care about what she had just announced.

Hyuna seemed to notice the rather awkward silence. She spoke again without looking at them, but Hyemi could swear that she was blushing. It couldn't be the fire.

"Don't worry, I tend to forget the most private memories easily. Well, unless the person was thinki--"

"Oh, sorry to interrupt, but I ne--" Sungah, who appeared out of nowhere behind the couch, causing Hyemi to flinch, spoke in a hurry before Keumjo hushed her.

"I need some help," Sungah finished with a whisper.

Hyemi massaged her temple. She could have been in Kyungri's arms right now instead of being engulfed by the reality of the world.

"Did something go wrong? Hyuna asked.

"No, but we finished early," Sungah answered, "the teacher checked out, I'm with her right now and I don't think that she trusts me."

At the mention of her wife, Hyemi stood. "Is she okay?! Does she know about this? I need to talk to her!" She remembered to keep her voice as low as possible.

"Hyemi, you know that you can't do that," Hyuna said.

Sungah had sat beside Keumjo, causally wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Keumjo only relaxed into her embrace more without bothering Melna.

"I told her that you are in a secret mission that requires the two of you leaving the Capital first, but she insists on talking to you first," Sungah said, smiling as she lifted her gaze from the sleeping Melna to look at them, and Hyemi wondered if being able to multi-exist at the same time meant having different moods for each version because her boss never smiled. In all the six years since she had become a Keeper, her boss had never... smiled.

Hyemi sat again, overwhelmed by the change that her world was sprinting towards that she couldn't really pay attention when Minha spoke.

_You are making us look like runaways. If you do that, it means that there won't be new Keepers from the Deserted Lands for a while again._

_It's the only solution_ , _Hyuna had replied._

_Another solution that they don't even have a choice in._

Hyemi felt that it had been too long; Hyemi felt like there wasn't enough time. The pain in her heart exceeded the faint headache threatening to strengthen.

"T--tell her that I want her to break her promise." Hyemi pressed her hands on her eyes and only felt the disappointment that the young aspirers of the Deserted Lands would have to go through.

The Capital was cruel to everyone outside of it, but it offered a future. The Deserted Lands didn't even give them a present, they only gave mines to work at and fields to grow.

"She made me a promise on our first date, tell her that I want her to break it." She looked at Sungah.

"It's working," Sungah said as she moved to stand. "Do you want me to bring anything?" She had asked both Hyuna and Keumjo, but her eyes had lingered on Keumjo more.

The two answered with a No, and a toothy smile brightened Keumjo's tired features as she said goodbye to Sungah. Like time had skipped another second, Sungah disappeared, and the quietness became too harsh.

  
,

  
The sunrise got stronger and brighter with each moment passing by as they walked through the other half of the forest, and that still didn't help in making up for the vagueness that they had to live in before now. Cold winds of morning had stirred the tree branches softly.

There were crimes, Hyuna had told them, awful crimes happening in the Capital that were kept hidden from the public. She had told them that it was the first hint of destruction.

The memories said so. The memories that Hyuna could live and feel as if they were her own; memories of people, memories forged into stones and sands and old walls. Through them, she was able to know the truth and establish a sisterhood that would protect Melna when she was born.

 _If_ , was the right word. Hyuna didn't really know if a human without powers could actually be born or not. She had only hoped.

Melna had woken up two hours before, and her cute giggles that she responded with to Minha's efforts in making her happy while Keumjo was asleep were the only thing that affected her heart in a gentle way.

"You still haven't told us why the two of us were chosen," Minha said as their steps rustled the fallen leaves and thin branches.

"We wanted people from in and outside the Capital whom we can trust, and the only way to have that trust is to recruit them early. It's true that you didn't know about it, but you were chosen the moment you became Keepers. Which reminds me," Hyuna turned to them, "we do have people from the Deserted Lands helping us. Not Keepers, but they are with us, so you won't be alone, just isolated."

Hyuna met her eyes, and what she said next made Hyemi's heart race in delight for a change. "Your friend is among them."

"Sojin?!"

Hyuna hummed and continued walking.

"When were you planning to tell me this?!" Hyemi let out, feeling cold stings in her eyes.

"Well, you looked too tired last night, I wasn't sure it was the best time to tell you that your childhood friend is now risking her life protecting you while you now risk your life protecting our next generation."

Hyuna stopped walking once the edge of the forest seemed just a few feet ahead. "This is it for me," she said, looking at them, and giving Hyemi no chance to ask more about Sojin. "For Melna's safety, we will stay as far as possible and come whenever the situation allows, so if a long while passes without you seeing Erin or Sungah, that doesn't mean that we've abandoned you."

She smiled. Her black hair, her gaze; everything about her seemed calm. Only then Hyemi noticed.

"As I've told you, always stay near the old ruins, never make contact with anyone passing by." She looked at her wristwatch, "You will meet Erin and Kyungri at the safe place on the other side, Keumjo will lead the way."

Hyuna seemed to be hesitant to say goodbye.

"I want to ask something of you," she began after a moment filled with birds' soft harmonies blended with Melna's little noises as Minha held her. "The hope, or the love of life or whatever it was the thing that told you to dream of a better life when everyone around you constantly told you to give up, hold on to it. It will help not only Melna, but you as well, to keep going."

Hyemi saw what was there behind her hopeful smile, and the care in her eyes. Hyemi realized the weight that Hyuna's power enforced on her.

,

The Capital was huge, anyone could hide inside it and no one would know, _right away_ ; but it was a point, a mere point while the Deserted Lands were the rest of the world. A world that was bigger than Hyemi had ever imagined.

They were at a place that Hyemi had never visited before. There weren't any mountains as far as the eye could see. There was green everywhere, on the ground; on the tall buildings and on the cars. There was emptiness, Hyemi could feel it, but seeing so much green eased the weight that the road ahead of them gave.

The entrance to the ruined city was from under a few bridges, it was a long walk after that but the sun was still in the middle of the sky when they finally reached one of the smallest and the most damaged buildings.

"Are you sure it isn't about to fall?" Hyemi asked, standing next to Minha.

It was Hyemi's turn to hold Melna, and it took the latter only a couple of minutes on Hyemi's shoulder before falling asleep.

"Yes! I made it myself. Look!"

At least she didn't look insulted like Minha had the night before. The wall attached to the door became pitch black all of a sudden, then clean gold, then pieces were falling from it and Keumjo didn't stop making her illusions until Minha let out, _Okay, okay, we got it,_ as she walked inside.

,

The higher they rose through the fairly unscathed staircase, the more warmth Hyemi felt. There were four or seven doors on both sides of the ruined hallway of the fourth floor; Hyemi couldn't tell because of how little sunshine had managed to pierce through the fire escape's window.

"Stay on the left side, then after the third door, change to the middle and walk until you reach the sixth door," Keumjo said before extending her arms to take Melna. "There are holes on the floor," she explained.

"That sounds dangerous," Hyemi told her when the latter walked ahead confidently. Minha followed, while she felt a little hesitant because all there was on the floor was dirt and stains.

"We brought protection barriers, and the door will be closed all the time. Melna will be safe."

,

Hyemi's heart fluttered with warmth upon seeing her wife. She was sitting at a table in the middle of what seemed like a living room, a few boxes were in front of her on the table while light green curtains were pulled to both sides of the window, giving the place all the daylight that they needed.

"Hyemi," Kyungri whispered, standing up.

Hyemi wanted to hold her, she desperately wanted to feel her warmth and scent surround her. However, the click of the door as she closed it behind them, and Keumjo's voice as she woke the sleeping Erin on the single couch in the far corner made both her and Kyungri hesitate to reach for each other.

Erin seemed a lot brighter than last night even though she just opened her eyes, Hyemi thought before looking at Kyungri again. Her heart had taken a pace that won't end until Kyungri embrace her. She took a step towards her, and hoped that the others won't notice them.

They met at the middle, as always, and the others faded away. Hyemi was steady again, as her arms wrapped around Kyungri's middle and the latter buried her face in her neck. Everything felt okay again.

"I'm sorry," Hyemi let out as a few tears escaped her control, and Kyungri's breaths felt the warmest on her skin. Kyungri being in her arms eased the ache and exhaustion that last night had caused, and Kyungri's whisper, asking if she was okay made her close her eyes, nodding. She inhaled her wife's scent that she loved so much.

"I'm okay now," Hyemi said as Kyungri backed away just a bit to look at her with her tearful eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry that y--"

Kyungri kissed her lips and all that mattered was how her lips felt against Kyungri's soft ones.

"We're together," Kyungri whispered, kissing the side of hyemi's mouth. "That's all I care about."

,

Later that day, Erin told them about plan B, and C, and D in case of danger. And Hyemi repeated Hyuna's words to Kyungri, making them feel real. The history that she never cared much about felt too real and too heavy.

Erin took Minha to the edge of the city so she could hear the voices and the footsteps' rhythm of their distant guardians. One of those guardians was her friend, Hyemi couldn't help but to feel the sweet bitterness of how close yet far she was from Sojin.

Hyemi flinched when her eyes were closed for too long, and only realized that indeed it had been too long when Kyungri was sitting on the side of their mattress. She had been getting ready to shower when Hyemi had lain down to have some rest, not even caring to wonder how the hell a building like this could manage to offer them hot showers.

Kyungri laughed calmly as she folded the clothes in her hands. Her hair was almost dry. Hyemi heard Keumjo's and Melna's voices in the main room, so she snuggled closer to Kyungri. All five of them would be sharing the sleeping room.

"Don't sleep, you haven't eaten anything yet."

"I'm not hungry," Hyemi murmured at her waist, ignoring the twists that her stomach had started to make the moment she woke up.

"You are."

That reminded Hyemi of something. She leaned on her elbow, looking up at Kyungri in silence as she waited for her wife to notice her.

"I can hear your tummy, Hyemi," Kyungri said, chuckling. It wouldn't be a lie if she did.

"Liar," Hyemi went back to her former position, kind of. And this time Kyungri adjusted herself to hug her closer.

"What do you want me to see?"

Kyungri's voice was gentle, and her heartbeats were calming. Hyemi kissed her covered chest until she reached the soft skin of her collarbone. She placed one hand on Kyungri's waist as they faced each other fully. The feel of Kyungri's neck under her lips was distracting, not to mention her increasing pulse and audible breaths.

"No, I want us to see each other," Hyemi whispered in her right ear. Bodies attached, and warmth shared. Kyungri had told her that she sometimes could make others see, and even feel their own feelings instead of just her who would be seeing them and knowing what they felt exactly, which was why Kyungri had made her a promise. She would never use her power to know what Hyemi really felt, because Hyemi didn't have that advantage

She found Kyungri's eyes again; they brought comfort to her soul again.

"Show me what you feel, and show me what I feel. You said that seeing feelings is like feeling a person's whole existence at that moment. I want to feel that I'm real; that last night was real."

Kyungri's caring gaze lingered on her a little before she nodded, hugging her. "Close your eyes."

,

Darkness didn't remain complete for more than two seconds. Fog of different colors emitted from the deepest point of her soul. It flowed through her body, yet it stayed at the center of her focus. Without defined shapes or exact sizes, without one color cancelling the other, the fog filled the darkness with calmness that overpowered everything, even the beat of her heart.

"The colors are your feelings," Kyungri explained. "The yellow one is me, your love for me." Kyungri's voice was soft, and Hyemi leaned into her more. "The blue is Sojin, your love for her." She chuckled, "It's still a star."

"That doesn't even look like a star." It was more like a pointy sphere.

"Yes, it does!" Kyungri insisted, drawing a smile to Hyemi's lips. And when her wife spoke again, "The purple is your longing for her," she tightened her arms around Hyemi a bit, "you miss her so much, Hyemi," she said, and Hyemi just nodded.

With every mention of a color, the feeling was raised to its clearest level.

"The green one is your anger at your home, and the Capital. And the dark blue is your love for them."

Hyemi almost opened her eyes, but she felt that anger, then she felt that love. Kyungri kissed her shoulder, and that made Hyemi notice her own shivers.

"The little brown moving everywhere is your worry about me." It was like a line of smoke moving around and through the other colors in fear.

Both of them laughed.

"The orange is your worry about Melna."

And Hyemi took that as a cue to say her thoughts. "What if I can't protect her? What if I can't give her a happy life? She won't have anyone but us."

With every word, Hyemi saw the orange becoming unstable in shape and size.

Kyungri gave her one answer. "You will do everything you can, Hyemi, I know that you will."

,

Hyemi clutched at her shirt from behind, and her colors faded into the darkness only so Kyungri's ones could emerge. This time, Hyemi didn't feel them coming from within her but rather engulfing her with Kyungri's warmth. Tears had fallen from her closed eyes as she felt Kyungri's love for her.

"The violet is my love for you."

"I love you, too," Hyemi muttered as a lot of colors filled the darkness with a beautiful haze.

"The red on the side, this is Sojin. My fondness of her."

Hyemi laughed, "You haven't even met her."

"Yeah, but she's the reason we met in the first place. If it wasn't for your blue star dominating the others' feelings in the school that day, I wouldn't have known that you were there."

A kid had managed to hide all of her class within an invisible bubble that day, which required the help of Keepers.

"She made us find each other, I'm thankful for her."

"I love you so much," Hyemi repeated again, remembering the shudder that her heart made when Kyungri talked to her. She hugged her stronger, feeling what Kyungri was feeling.

"Why are your colors different from mine?" Hyemi asked, feeling fuzzy. Feeling how much Kyungri liked hugging her.

"Because we're different."

"I love your colors."

Kyungri's lips were just below her ear. She kissed her before whispering, _I know you do_. And even though Hyemi saw the teasing coming because she had already felt it, it still raised her heat to a noticeable level.

She tried to keep her breaths steady, she tried to ignore Kyungri's hands on her back. Fingers pressed hard into her, and lips brushed the skin of her neck, making her want to stop resisting. But Kyungri spoke calmly, and that was the only thing that took her mind off of the sudden, sweet warmth in her core that she didn't know if it was hers or Kyungri's or of the both of them. It prevented her from trailing wet kisses on Kyungri's neck, it brought back the outside world to the moment.

"Open your eyes," she said.

Hyemi moved back, doing that. The colors became so faint, almost like a transparent layer, giving the cheerless room a beautiful shade of flying colors. "Wow!"

"The colors should seem faint for you, but yeah, that's the best part of it."

Kyungri drew her attention as the colors faded, and Hyemi gazed at her. Her cheeks were red, and the love in her eyes was the protection that Hyemi needed.

,

 

  
Hyemi rubbed the sleep away from her eyes as she entered the small kitchen. The morning light had washed the whole apartment with rays of warmth. On their first night, she learned that thanks to Erin, they would have enough electricity for two months. And also thanks to Erin, they would have food. And in case of random emergencies, like one tripping and breaking her arm, or one having a very angry stomach, Erin would immediately be there to help them.

Erin had the mythical power that the old tales mentioned, the power that didn't just mean taking others' powers, but taking their lives as well in the process. Of course, such a power was no longer mythical. It never was, and despite how the tales portrayed that power as evil, all that Hyemi noticed on Erin's features when the latter wasn't flashing one of her charming smiles, or talking about the sisterhood in a way that had the four of them gaping at her with interest was sadness; was pain.

It had been over two weeks now, and the quietness of the city still hadn't gotten under Hyemi's skin yet. She guessed that it was the people with her who prevented that.

Sungah promised that she would record the whole week's programs to keep them connected to the rest of the world. The fact that the Capital was within the rest of the world now was a detail that Hyemi dawdled on for a moment. She also made a special promise for Hyemi, one that the latter had been hesitant to ask for.

 _Tell Sojin that I miss her_ , Hyemi said to Sungah when everyone else was distracted, _if you can meet her, of course!_ Hyemi added quickly. _Please tell her that I said hi, and that I miss her._

 

The other day, Keumjo remembered that they didn't know the story in which she managed to fool everyone, which accidentally kept the sisterhood oblivious about Melna, and now she wouldn't wash the smug look off her face.

A sigh escaped Hyemi's lips as she poured water for herself. She started to prepare Melna's milk, and their breakfast. Birds flew by their building every morning, it was nice. Hyemi loved it, and loved the peacefulness that this city had offered them. Despite the fear and wariness that they were living by, Hyemi felt a sense of acceptance toward their world. It was small, and faint, but it was a start, she supposed. A start to to make that world a better place.

 


End file.
